Comments on: Clinching and Ties and such http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/ News, views, and analysis on the Detroit Tigers and baseball Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:20:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Greg http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14766 Greg Tue, 19 Sep 2006 15:12:24 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14766 With the Yankees/Red Sox, it wasn't as big a deal because both teams were going to make the playoffs, correct? They just needed a divisional and w.c. winner for seeding, which still matters, just not as much as missing the playoffs altogether. With the Yankees/Red Sox, it wasn’t as big a deal because both teams were going to make the playoffs, correct? They just needed a divisional and w.c. winner for seeding, which still matters, just not as much as missing the playoffs altogether.

]]> By: Jeff M http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14707 Jeff M Tue, 19 Sep 2006 04:41:04 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14707 I wasn't paying much attention last year, Rich, so I'll take your word for it. I think head-to-head record is a reasonable way to settle a tie, but you would have to use that in lieu of a tie-breaker games. Once you've already played one or more tie-breaker games, it would be silly to fall back on head-to-head records. I wasn’t paying much attention last year, Rich, so I’ll take your word for it. I think head-to-head record is a reasonable way to settle a tie, but you would have to use that in lieu of a tie-breaker games. Once you’ve already played one or more tie-breaker games, it would be silly to fall back on head-to-head records.

]]> By: Rich http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14704 Rich Tue, 19 Sep 2006 04:10:13 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14704 Purists would HATE option 2. I may be wrong, but I doubt baseball has ever broken any sort of tie with a statistic. Remember that time that the Red Sox and Yankees had the same record in the AL East, but the Red Sox got the wild card because the Yankees went 10-9 against them? Last year, I think. I may be wrong on the numbers, but I think i heard this on ESPN. Purists would HATE option 2. I may be wrong, but I doubt baseball has ever broken any sort of tie with a statistic.

Remember that time that the Red Sox and Yankees had the same record in the AL East, but the Red Sox got the wild card because the Yankees went 10-9 against them?

Last year, I think. I may be wrong on the numbers, but I think i heard this on ESPN.

]]> By: Greg http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14703 Greg Tue, 19 Sep 2006 03:45:06 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14703 I think margin of victory, as opposed to runs scored, is okay. I think margin of victory, as opposed to runs scored, is okay.

]]> By: Alan http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14699 Alan Tue, 19 Sep 2006 03:12:36 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14699 The White Sox are doing their best to make sure a 3 way tie is not something MLB has to worry about resolving. The White Sox are doing their best to make sure a 3 way tie is not something MLB has to worry about resolving.

]]> By: Jeff M http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14675 Jeff M Tue, 19 Sep 2006 01:42:17 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14675 The problem is that if you play three games and the away team wins all three, you're in a pickle. Do you play three more? That's not practical, because it could easily happen again and now the league becomes a laughingstock. So at some point, you have to give undue importance to something. The only options that I see are: 1) The order in which the games are played or 2) A mutually agreed upon statistic. Purists would HATE option 2. I may be wrong, but I doubt baseball has ever broken any sort of tie with a statistic. The team that scores the most runs in a game wins. The team that wins the most games wins. Option 1 is arbitrary, but ultimately no more harmful to these principles than the home-field coin flips. What I'm more concerned with is why this wasn't sorted out a decade ago? The problem is that if you play three games and the away team wins all three, you’re in a pickle. Do you play three more? That’s not practical, because it could easily happen again and now the league becomes a laughingstock.

So at some point, you have to give undue importance to something. The only options that I see are:

1) The order in which the games are played
or
2) A mutually agreed upon statistic.

Purists would HATE option 2. I may be wrong, but I doubt baseball has ever broken any sort of tie with a statistic.

The team that scores the most runs in a game wins.
The team that wins the most games wins.

Option 1 is arbitrary, but ultimately no more harmful to these principles than the home-field coin flips.

What I’m more concerned with is why this wasn’t sorted out a decade ago?

]]> By: Greg http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14664 Greg Tue, 19 Sep 2006 01:24:00 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14664 I guess the fear is having three teams at 1-1, and then having to do it all over again. But I think margin-of-victory, or even a soccer-style homerun-derby shootout, would be better tiebreakers than avoiding the situation altogether by not playing the final game. I guess the fear is having three teams at 1-1, and then having to do it all over again. But I think margin-of-victory, or even a soccer-style homerun-derby shootout, would be better tiebreakers than avoiding the situation altogether by not playing the final game.

]]> By: Greg http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14663 Greg Tue, 19 Sep 2006 01:21:21 +0000 http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2006/09/clinching-and-ties-and-such/#comment-14663 I think the alternative approach, where the 1-0 and 1-1 teams are in, with the 0-1 team out, is unfair. It places undue importance on the ORDER of the games, making the first game for each of the two teams who play the last game a MUST WIN, whereas the other team knows it still has a chance. I don't know if my explanation makes sense; maybe I'm not understanding the setup. But something seems wrong. I think the alternative approach, where the 1-0 and 1-1 teams are in, with the 0-1 team out, is unfair. It places undue importance on the ORDER of the games, making the first game for each of the two teams who play the last game a MUST WIN, whereas the other team knows it still has a chance.

I don’t know if my explanation makes sense; maybe I’m not understanding the setup. But something seems wrong.

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